Antiskid chain



April 17, 1928. 1,666,497

A. JOHNSTON. JR

ANTI SKID CHAIN Original Filed March 5, 1921 I3 ww w 15, z 56. Q EZJWM F/W ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 17 1928.

' "STATES parent orriiciz.

ANDREW LANG'STAF-F: JOHNSTON, JR, or NEWARK, N wJERsEir, ASSIGNOR 'ro OFFNON CHAIN CORPORATION, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 02* CDELAWARE.

AN'rIsKIn CHAIN.

Original application nIedMa -oh a, 1921, ser'iarNo. 449,490. amined and this application filed April 25,

- 1925. Serial Np. 25,737;

, This invention relates to anti-skid cliains forautomobile tires or 't'hef like-anti more particularly tosuch de ibesfhavingl quick detachab l'e cross chains''- and ii'nproved'side -chain fastening:'mean's.@ I p 3 The'subject matter herein- 'disclosed' -is divi'cledi' fronn 'co pend-in'g application Serial No; 449,490, filed March+3=, 1921. I

I is a; gene 1 object of: the invention t'o pr'oi' ide a reliablev and eificientantiskid chain-ospahleiof qjiiicltand easy applieation to a and designed to-gi'v'e eflicient service.

Another" object" is" tofprovide' in an'tifskid chains an improved connecting arrangement for *facilitat'ing 'connection or disconnection of the'cross chains to the side chains.

Still another object 'i'sto provide an improved construction for 'ant'i skid chains wherein certain formations of the side chain -liii'l s "n0t only cooperate to; provide a convenin't and" satisfactory selfllocking attaching device for the side chains, but also-cooperate to form an attaching ord'eta'ching' arrangement for the cross chains whereby' thealattor may be readiiy attached or detached without employment of tools;

' @ther object$.will'be-'in-parfiv ointediont in the following detailed description: and -'\\iill'- -be in part obvious in connection there- The invention accordingly comprises the "features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts; which will be exemplified in the-constructions hereinafter set forth and the scop'eof the applicationof which will be indicatedin the olaiifnsi For a more complete underst'a-ndi'ngofthe nature and objectsof the'invention, refere'nceis had to, the accompanying drawing showing un -illustrative bntpreferred e'mbodirnen't of-the' invention and in which Figure-1 is a plan view-of a portion of an Fig.'3*is-a fragmentary viewshowing the.

method of conneetingoif disconnecting. a crosschainto one of the side-cha ns;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged e'levational view showing; the-construction for connecting or;

disconnecting a cross chain;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showone' of the terminal connecting links. of jthe si'de" chain dropped, the connecting hood link being connected to the Second terminal connecting link.

--}A ocording to the present embodiment of each inclnding a plurality of concatenated llinks" and-Mbei'ng joined. by a plurality .of

- around; while the" cross.'= chains pass" trans versel y over: the? tread of; the tire; Theside chain-links are p reierably' eionga'ted and 'inzry be of any preferred- "constructionbut preferably include large, elongated loops-1;?

.witli side strandsaand shorter'transverse end strands, the links having eyes 13 smaller than the elongated loops andthe planestof the. eyes: being displaced, on'the' axis of the link;-:90 fromithe planes-of the elongated loops;

The I present. improvements deat more; particularly with: the means for connecting the cross chains:- to the side chains and for" connecting the: ends of theside; chains together when-the antivskid' chain-is placed inoperative-position upon; a tire; For, these purposes certainof the side chainlinks: are formed -on: the elongated. loop thereot with restricted: par-t'sof modified cross-sectional dimension. the linkstrandbeing preferably ofzzwiire circular in cross-section. This modified -partis preferably fiormed'by flattening juxtaposition totheadjacent connected link" when said links are in normal'extended position; as shown in Fig. Asfmany. ofthe sidel'itxks may be fiormed'wit'h these fiattened parts '14: as are desired for. connection ofithe-erbss. chai-nsi'or. connectioniot the? end'sgof-the side'zohains;

[The cross? chains; are provided .at;th'eir ends? witlrg-connectingend hooks L5. ha ving hook eyes-l6 with; entrance slots 17 leading thereto. The entrance slotsll'l are of a size torpermit free passage of 'the flattened parts 14:- ofijthe side chain links, but are restricted to: obstruct. passage of other parts of the link strand. Y

From the above disclosure it will be seen that a cross-chain may be readily connected to the side chains or disconnected therefrom by a simple manual operation and without employment of tools. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the connectionor disconnection of the cross chain may be readily effected by sliding the adjacent connected link lfi around to one side away fromregistry with the formation 14 of the link 19. .to.- which a cross chain is to be connected. The

entry slots '17 of the end hooki15 may.then be brought into registrywith the flattened formation 14 and passage of the-flattened J: part through the slot is readily fefiected.

The end hook is then slid around on the .link strand to its normal operative ,position .as shown in Fig. 1, and theadjacentcon- 'nected link 18 may then be again moved .ilIltO its normal position inaligninentywith the other links, as 's'hownin Fig.. 1. When the side chain links are in substantial align- ;ment-with 'eachother as when theyrare extended in the line of stress oft-he side chains 'when applied to a tire, the flattened. parts 14 lie in registry with the eyesoftheradjacent connected links. soxas to prevent accidental registry of the connecting 'forma tions, thus providing'a simple and eflic-ient locking arrangement for preventing accidental disconnection of the cross chains: It

will be understood that a'desired number of cross chains spaced-as desired -may be employed, and the side chain links provided with'the flattened parts-14 may be-distributed to accommodate such spacing.

The flattened ends of formation 14 ofthe side chain links may also be utilized to-cooperate with a side chain'connecting hook link, such as hook link 20, t0 provide'a selflocking connection for the ends of the side chains. The book link 20 is connected to the side chain in any suitable manner, being provided with one or more connecting eyes 21 each having a forwardly inclined entryslot 22. These entry-slots are of sufficient thickness or depth to permit passage of the flattened part 14 when said part lies substantially in the plane of the slot, but passage is obstructed when the flattened part is disposed obliquely to the plane of the entrywidth to obstruct such passage.

slot, said flattened part-being of sulficient Also, the entry-slots are sufficiently restricted 'to ob- 'struct passage of the link strand except at the book link assume substantial alignment as. they do under normal chain tension, as indicated in dot and dash lines, Fig. 2, or in full lines, Fig. 1, accidental disengagement of the connecting link with the book link will be preventedby reason of the disposition of the flattened part 14 obliquely to the plane'of the entry-slot 22, aspointed out above.

v It jvill he obser ved'fthat any one of the side chain links having the flattened part 14 may beconnected with the hook link 20 so that proper tension of the-side chainsmay be readilypflectedby dropping one or more ofthe side-chain linksas shown in Fig. 5.

Since certain changesmay be made in the above; construct on, and different embodiments of. the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended .that all; matter contained in the :above description or shown in the "accompanyingdrawingshall-be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a, limiting sense.

t lt is also to be f unders tood' thatthe following. claims are {intended .to cover all of .the generic ,and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope'of .the invention wh ch, as a matter oflanguage, might be said to fall 'therebetween.

Having described .my invention, what I claim as newanddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:"

1. In an anti -skid chain, in combination, a side chain, means-for 1om1ng the ends of Isaid side-chainjincluding a hook link carried by an end-of said-side chain, said hook link having a connecting-eye and a commu- -nicating restricted inclined entry-slot and the opposing link of the opposing end-of the side chain having at its end a flattened part of a sizeand proportions to permit assage through said entrance slot when sai openinglink lies substantially in the plane of said slot but obstructing such passage when said opposing link assumes substantial alignment with said hook link, a cross chain for said anti-skid chain, and means for connecting said cross chain to said side chain including anend hook at one end of said cross chain having a connecting eye and a restricted entry-slot leading thereto permitting passage of said fiattenedend part of. the side chain link but obstructing passageof other parts thereof, registry of said entry-slot of the cross chain end hook with said flattened end part of-"said opposing link being nobstructed by the engagement between adjacent links when the side-chain is extended with the connected links thereof in substantial alignment.

2. In an anti-skid chain, in combination, side chains, a cross-chain, means for joining the ends of said side chains includin hook links carried by an end of each of said side chains, said hook links and the ends of the opposing links of the opposing ends of the side chains having complementary formations whereby said hook links and the opposing links of the side chains, to secure ends of the side chains together, may interengage in one relative angular relationship thereof while resisting engagement or disengagement thereof in other relative angular relationships, and means for connecting said cross chain to said side chains including end hooks at the ends of said cross chain adapted to cooperate with said complementary formations of the side chain links to permit passage of the latter into said end hooks when the complementary formations on said side chain links are displaced from registry with the adjacent connected links or hook links but obstructing such passage when the side chains are extended in operative position with the connected links thereof in substantial alignment.

3. In an anti-skid tire chain, in combination, side chains including a plurality of concatenated links, certain of said links having at one end thereof restricted portions of modified cross-sectional dimension,'cross chains having end hooks provided with connecting eyes and communicating restricted entrance slots proportioned to permit passage of said restricted port-ions of the links into said connecting eyes, but to obstruct passage at other portions of said side chain links, and connecting hook links for said side chains provided with connecting eyes and communicating inclined entry slots proportioned to permit passage of said restricted portions of the links when said links and hook links are relatively angularly displaced, but obstructingsuch passage when said links and hook links lie in substantial alignment, the conneeted links of said side chains or a connccted link and hook link thereof, when extended substantially in the line of stress thereof, obstructing registry of said restricted link portions and the said entrance slots of said cross chain end hooks.

4. In an anti-skid chain, in combination, side chains, a cross chain extending between and attached to said side chains, means for joining the ends of one of said side chains including a hook link carried by the side chain, said hook link and an opposing connecting link of the opposing end of the side chain having complementary formations whereby said hook link and said opposing link may be interengaged into connected relationship with each other when in one relative angular relationship thereof and similarly disengaged, disconnection between said hook link and said opposing connecting link being obstructed by said complementary formations when said hook link and said opposing connecting link are extended in operative position in substantial alignment, and means for connecting said cross chain to one of said side chains,'including an end hook having a hook seat and a communicating entryslot proportioned to permit pas sage of said complementary formation of said opposing connecting link to connect the end hook with the connecting link, said hook link when connected to said opposing connecting link, and extended in operative position in substantial alignment therewith, obstructing disengaging registry of the entryslot of said cross-chain end hook with the complementary formation of said opposing connecting link.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

ANDREW LANGSTAFF JOHNSTON, Jr. 

